#HatofSummer 2023 Week 3 Update

No text today. Just letting the video do the talking.

#HatofSummer 2023 Week 2 Update

 It's been another week of voting for #OfficialHat2023.

Here is the video for this past week's results.

As always, I hope that you are voting as many times as you desire.

And you can use the link here to cast your votes. (Votes!) https://forms.gle/JKSygnKYGPC8uorV9

#HatofSummer 2023 Week 1 Voting Update

 Is your chosen hat leading the pack this year?

How many times have you voted?

Is your index finger sore from mashing that mouse key, voting, voting, and voting again?

#HatofSummer 2023: Your Three Choices for This Year

 The #OfficialHat2023 campaign has already been underway for a few weeks, but I have neglected to post any of the videos on the old WWYG?! platform.

So, here are the three choices available for your voting pleasure.

As always--you can cast your votes on the provided Google Form to select the ONLY hat that I will wear all summer long: from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. When I wear a hat, it will only be the one that is chosen to be this year's #Hat of Summer.

CHOICE 1

CHOICE 2

CHOICE 3

Happy voting!

Adjacent to the LOST Recap that Might Re-awaken?

 I'm back!

(Because ones of you out there in the vast Internet sea actually said to my face "You've got to update your blog!" Those six words have only every been utter in that sequence and directed at me once before . . . by the same kind person. And so, the Universe was trying to tell me something and who am I to fight against the Universe?)

Andbutso . . . you might guess from the fairly clear blog title what this is about. And why be surprised, because I venture to guess that 30ish percent of WWYG?! is already about this. And LOST was one of the original spurs that made me start blogging almost twenty years (?!!!) ago anyway. So, its Old Home Week back here on the digital ranch.

Grace shared this video with me on Friday. And I watched it. And by and large I appreciated it. Heck, I appreciate anyone who takes time to think about LOST--especially if that thinking results in the conclusion that We didn't appreciate LOST at the time!

Damn right you didn't. But I'm here to tell you that I.DID. 

I was drinking the glowing cave water from the opening minutes of episode one! And that is no surprise to anyone who has read WWYG?! in the past. But though I did appreciate Drew's support and his positive thoughts on one of the most impactful shows in TV history . . . and one of the most important TV shows in my adult life.

But he is wrong about one critical thing.

But before I get to what Drew is wrong about, I guess I should say that if you HAVEN'T watched LOST then you will be somewhat spoiled by the video above. So I guess go make one of the best decisions of your life and a. bookmark this post for future reference, b. devote 5,400 hours of your life to watching a show that premiered in 2004. And once you are done, c. come back to watch the video.

But . . . Drew's big mistake is that he argues that LOST is best watched in a binging environment and that it suffers from a week-to-week viewing. Having been an O.G. network television watcher I must STRONGLY disagree. Because watching LOST week-to-week gave me and my friends time to discuss, time to dissect, time to ponder what the actual f just happened on this week's show. Beyond that, LOST helped create the second-screen, entertainment discussion ethos that all prestige television thrives on currently.

LOST helped propel TV-themed podcasts. Back when podcasts were first emerging. And the dedicated fans of LOST tuned into those few LOST casts to listen to theories and hear from the actors and the producers and generally wallow in everything related to the show. We scoured the Internet for clues. We checked out the random book references from our libraries and tried to understand. The Easter Egg culture of TV (for all that is good and bad about it) sprung up from the mysteries that defined LOST. (Hell, the creators even designed a few off-season Internet "experiences" to keep people engaged during the summer. Remember Alvar Hanso?)

So . . . sorry Drew . . . the weekly release was a very helpful environment in which to watch the show. And if you are taking my advice to join in on the whole thing, consider taking your time. There are so few TV experiences anymore that are going to offer you 121* immersive episodes full of intrigue, plot twists, and unexpected joys. 

(And if you are interested in the show and need something to nudge you forward, why not check out my partial list of LOST Rewatch episodes. It'll be fun reading, I promise!)

As an aside . . . I 100 percent do AGREE with Drew's assessment that Michael Giacchino's music and scoring is a key element of what makes the show beautiful.

In summary . . . LOST is a beautiful treasure that should be savored. Please consider diving in and when you do, dive in all the way. 

#4 8 15 16 23 42

* Why didn't Lindelof and Cuse do the right thing and make is guaranteed that the show would end with 108 episodes?